Remortgage Within Six Months of Purchase

Considering a remortgage within six months of a purchase? Find out if you can and how a broker can help you

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Home Remortgages Remortgage Within Six Months Of Purchase

Author: Pete Mugleston

Mortgage Advisor, MD

Reviewer: Jon Nixon

Director of Distribution

Updated: March 14, 2024

How we reviewed this article:

Our experts continuously monitor changes in the financial space and work closely with qualified mortgage advisors for factual verification.

March 14, 2024

We’ll explain how it’s possible to remortgage your home within six months of buying it, what rules mortgage lenders follow on this and why speaking with a mortgage broker can be a valuable first step in the process.

How quickly can you remortgage after buying a property?

Most – but not all – mortgage lenders will only accept applications to remortgage a property after you have owned it for more than six months, based on the date you were registered as the owner with the Land Registry. This is known as the ‘six-month rule’.

Another factor in how quickly you can remortgage is how much it will cost you to exit your current mortgage. If you initially signed up for a two-year, three-year, or five-year fixed-rate or discounted-rate mortgage, it would likely cost you money to leave before the end of that period. However, in some cases, that may still be your best option.

The six-month rule

The six-month mortgage rule prevents homeowners from taking out a new mortgage against a property that they have owned for less than six months. It was put in place to close a loophole that allowed homebuyers and property investors to increase their borrowing to 100% of the property value very soon after buying it.

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Can you remortgage within six months?

Yes, though it is more difficult than remortgaging later. There could be many reasons why you need to remortgage within a short period.

For example:

In any of these cases, you’ll need to find a lender who does not impose the six-month rule. You’ll also need to find out how difficult and costly it will be to exit your current mortgage, to decide whether remortgaging is really the best option for you now. There might be other types of financing that also meet your needs.

How to remortgage early

If you want to remortgage very soon after buying a property, you’ll need the right mortgage broker on your side to help improve your prospects. Make an enquiry with us and we’ll match you with a remortgage advisor who specialises in borrowers who need to refinance early.

Your mortgage broker can help by…

  • Checking the position with the land registry to make sure their records have been updated since you completed the purchase of your property
  • Assessing the situation with your current mortgage deal to ensure there are no early repayment fees for switching at this stage
  • If charges are applicable your broker can outline the potential costs of remortgaging now so you can make an informed decision
  • Downloading and optimising your credit reports to make sure all the information held is accurate and up to date
  • Comparing deals across the whole market, including broker-exclusives ones
  • Preparing the necessary paperwork required for your application

Day-one remortgages

Day one remortgages are when a homeowner looks to refinance their property from the day they complete on the initial property purchase. While they are called day one remortgages, the term generally applies to any remortgage application that is made within the first six months of a person owning a property.

They’re rare as many providers often do not want to offer a remortgage product to someone who has only owned the property for six months or less – if not a year.

They work similarly to a conventional mortgage. However, what makes them different is that you must prove you are the owner of the property which can be difficult if the Land Registry is not yet updated to reflect your purchase. Land Registry updates can take up to six weeks to occur, if not longer. Your solicitor can often be used to provide confirmation instead.

As with traditional mortgages, you will likely need to have some equity to back the loan. When it comes to day one remortgages, providers often like to see between 75% and 85% loan-to-value (LTV). You may find a provider who is willing to go higher.

Which lenders offer them?

Nationwide and Barclays are a couple of the well known names that offer these remortgage products. However, as they come with strict requirements, it is best to seek the help of a broker for access. Not only will their knowledge help you secure the best mortgage for you, you may find you have to use them for the remortgage product you want. Some providers only offer them through specialist lending arms that require a broker.

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Can you remortgage after six months?

Remortgaging after six months is significantly easier, as you’ll have more mortgage lenders to choose from. However, bear in mind that this is six months after the Land Registry has been updated with your name, not six months after completion.

There will usually be additional costs involved in remortgaging after one year (if you have a two-year, three-year, or five-year deal) but it is still possible to do and it is sometimes the best choice financially over the long term.

Lenders and eligibility

There are around 30 lenders who will consider remortgage applications within six months, though all will review your application with scrutiny and will only approve it in certain cases. This group of lenders have been known to include:

  • Barclays
  • NatWest
  • HSBC
  • Virgin Money
  • Nationwide Building Society

Criteria you’ll need to meet

The eligibility requirements are largely the same as any mortgage, except that you may need to provide additional documentation.

Depending on your reason for remortgaging, this might include:

  • An audit trail of purchase
  • Confirmation from a solicitor that a request has been made to update the Land Registry (if you are not yet listed as the owner)
  • A completion statement to confirm the original purchase price of the property
  • Evidence for an increased valuation based on completed renovations

Why use Online Mortgage Advisor?

Using our free matching service to find a broker who specialises in early remortgages will dramatically improve your chances of success, landing a low interest rate and securing the best deal available.

Because it’s rare to remortgage a property within six months, not all mortgage brokers will have handled transactions of this nature. It’s best to speak to a remortgage broker who specialises in cases just like this and has experience working with lenders who operate outside of the six-month rule.

Finding one of these specialists is easy with our broker-matching service.

We take a few details about your situation and use them to put you in touch with someone with the expertise to help you. You’ll start with a free, no-obligation chat to discuss your needs and answer your questions. Get started today by calling 0808 189 2301 or enquiring online.

Maximise your chance of approval with a broker who's a specialist in remortgages

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FAQs

Usually, there will be costs involved if you remortgage early. You’ll need to pay an exit fee to leave your current mortgage and there may be an arrangement fee or valuation fee for your new mortgage. So, while remortgaging could lower your monthly repayments, you’ll need to think carefully about whether it’s worth it.

Yes, you can, but you’ll face similar challenges to someone remortgaging their home in this time frame, i.e. you’ll need to find a lender who does not impose the six-month rule and your application will face added scrutiny. It is still possible with expert help.

The six-month rule also applies to properties that the seller has owned for less than six months, which makes it difficult to buy a property in these circumstances. However, you can still get around this if you find a lender who does not impose the rule.

If you bought the house originally using your cash reserves then you can raise funds using all the equity in your property straight away. Rather than a remortgage this would be regarded as an ‘unencumbered mortgage’.

About the author

Pete, an expert in all things mortgages, cut his teeth right in the middle of the credit crunch. With plenty of people needing help and few mortgage providers lending, Pete found great success in going the extra mile to find mortgages for people whom many others considered lost causes. The experience he gained, coupled with his love of helping people reach their goals, led him to establish Online Mortgage Advisor, with one clear vision – to help as many customers as possible get the right advice, regardless of need or background.

Pete’s presence in the industry as the ‘go-to’ for specialist finance continues to grow, and he is regularly cited in and writes for both local and national press, as well as trade publications, with a regular column in Mortgage Introducer and being the exclusive mortgage expert for LOVEMoney. Pete also writes for Online Mortgage Advisor of course!

Read more about Pete

Pete Mugleston

Mortgage Advisor, MD

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